


How it Happened

by LoverboyLance1



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Marichat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27077113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoverboyLance1/pseuds/LoverboyLance1
Summary: Chat didn’t know how it happened. Or, better put, he didn’t know how it didn’t happen sooner. Maybe it was the similarities to his lady, maybe it was her selflessness and kindness, but there was no doubt in his mind that he had fallen head over heels for Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and it was all because of one fateful afternoon a couple weeks ago.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 72





	1. How It Happened

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This is a new Marichat piece that I have been working on while I try to write the next few chapters for The Marionette. I love Marichat, and personally it is my favorite ship, and I can't believe it has taken me so long to finally write a work with this ship. I hope you all enjoy this work, and make sure to stay tuned for updates for my other works later this week.

Chat didn’t know how it happened. Or, better put, he didn’t know how it didn’t happen sooner. Maybe it was the similarities to his lady, maybe it was her selflessness and kindness, but there was no doubt in his mind that he had fallen head over heels for Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and it was all because of one fateful afternoon only a couple of weeks ago.

8 weeks earlier…

The day had started out like it would normally, a quick and quiet breakfast by himself, with Nathalie and Gorilla standing silently beside him, his father nowhere to be seen. Adrien sighed as he finished the last of his food, glancing towards his father's seat at the head of the table.

Over the past few months Adrien had seen his father less and less, due to his and his father’s increasingly busy schedules. Of course, the reason his father’s schedule was becoming more hectic had nothing to do with his own, even though the young model still had a numerous number of photo shoots he was scheduled to attend.

No, instead Adrien had Hawkmoth to blame for the busy schedule, as the villain started to increase the amount of akumazations, and had even begun re-akumatized past victims as slightly altered versions of their past personas. He and his lady were becoming exhausted, which Adrien bitterly thought might have been Hawkmoth’s plan all along.

Pushing his bowl away, Adrien picked up his school bag, which was lying by his feet, and swiftly made his way to the door, Gorilla following closely behind him. 

“Have a good day at school, Adrien.” Nathalie called to the boy, giving him a small smile. 

Adrien brightly smiled back at the woman, who had become the most prominent parental figure in his life at the moment. “I will,” he replied. “Thank you, Nathalie.”

The woman in question gave him a nod of acknowledgment before turning away, walking towards his father's office, tablet in hand. 

Adrien frowned as he saw her disappear through the office's doors before he turned and walked to the waiting car, hoping into the backseat. He saw the Gorilla glance back at him through the rearview mirror, watching him for a moment before he was seemingly pleased and rolled up the window that separated the front and back seats.

As soon as the window was up, Plagg zipped out of his shirt pocket. “Do you have to go to school today?” whined the kwami as he yawned tiredly. The past couple of weeks had drained a lot of Plaggs energy, and the kwami felt as though he could sleep for a millennium.

Adrien sighed. “You know I have to go to school, Plagg. Father would know if I didn’t attend my classes.”

Plagg rolled his eyes. “Listen kid, I’m not saying you skip school, I’m just saying you could pretend to be sick! You could pull it off, you look like death.”

Adrien scowled, but he knew the kwami was right. He had large dark bags under his eyes from sleep deprivation and exhaustion, which could easily be seen as a sign of sickness. Maybe he should skip school. 

Adrien shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t be right. I don’t want to lie to my father.”

Plagg pouted. “It’s not like you don’t already lie to him,” the kwami said while he was “stretching” in the air.

“That’s different Plagg, and you know it,” Adrien said, crossing his arms across his chest. He would not let Plagg pressure him into one of his bad ideas, they always turned out bad in the end. No wonder he was a sign of bad luck.

Plagg seemed to droop. “There's no way I’m going to change your mind, is there?” he asked, receiving a nod from him. He sighed in resignation. 

“Fine, but I better get some camembert for this.”

Adrien rolled his eyes before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a slice of the pungent cheese. Plagg let out a squeal of delight, rushing over to Adrien, snatching the camembert from his hand before shoving it in his mouth. 

“This is why you're my favourite!” he cried out.

“Uh huh,” the boy replied, looking out the window to see they were arriving at school. “Hurry and get in my bag!”

Plagg grunted before zipping into the backpack, just before Gorilla opened the door. Adrien gave a quick thanks as he got out of the car. Looking around, he saw Nino standing at the top of the steps talking to Alya and Marinette. Upon seeing Adrien, Nino gave his friend a huge smile, waving him over to the group. 

As he approached, he saw Marinette begin to blush and shy away. Adrien frowned. He didn’t know why Marinette seemed to be so uncomfortable around him. He thought there may be some tensions between them because of the misunderstanding the first day, but he had thought that they had become closer since then.

He sighed. ‘I’ll get closer with her,’ he thought. ‘It’ll just take time.’

“Hey guys,” Adrien greeted. 

“Hi sunshine,” Alya replied, giving him a bright smile. 

Nino gave him a fist bump. “Morning dude!”

“H-Hi Adrien,” Marinette stammered out, sending him a small wave in his direction. 

He smiled at the blushing girl. “Hi Marinette!”

A hand on his shoulder caught his attention, making him turn to see Nino’s concerned gaze. “You okay, dude?” his best friend asked, eyes narrowed at he teen model.

Adrien frowned. “Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be.”

“Oh, I dunno,” Alya said with extreme sarcasm, rolling her eyes as she adjusted her glasses. “Maybe because of the massive bags under your eyes.”

Adrien chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’m fine guys, I’ve just been really busy lately. Guess I haven’t been getting enough sleep.”

“Sounds like someone else we know,” Alya said, glancing at Marinette. 

Marinette looked at the ground sheepishly. “I’ve just been working on a lot of commissions.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t need sleep, Mari,” Alya said, crossing her arms.

“I know,” the girl muttered, rubbing her eyes.

Looking closely at her, Adrien saw that she also had bags under her eyes, although they were slightly smaller than his own. 

Before he could agree with Alya, the warning bell for the start of school sounded, and they all rushed to get to their class. Sitting down in his seat as the final bell sounded, Adrien yawned. This was going to be a long day. Maybe Plagg was right, he should have pretended to be sick.

The day seemed to last an eternity, and Adrien almost started crying when the bell rang for the end of school. It was a good thing today was one of the rare days there were no akuma attacks, cause he doesn’t know if he could have lasted an entire fight. 

Arriving at his house, Adrien made a beeline for his room, collapsing in his bed. Plagg zipped out of his bag and lied down next to him.

“I’m so tired,” Adrien muttered into his comforter, Plagg humming in agreement. “Maybe we should just take a nap,” he yawned, earning another hum of agreement from the kwami. And so that’s what they did.


	2. A Wandering Mind is a Dangerous Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien thinks about his family and how it has changed since his mother's death, and feels trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the story is starting out slow, but I promise there will be more Marichat in the future! Enjoy!

When Adrien woke up, the sun was beginning to set outside of his window. Sitting up and stretching, Adrien saw Plagg sitting on his desk, eating a wheel of camembert. “How long have we been asleep?” Adrien asked the kwami.

“Well I woke up about an hour ago, and decided to help myself to a little snack,” Plagg said, gesturing to the cheese. “But you slept for about three hours.”

Glancing at the clock, Adrien saw that the kwami was right. He thought he should probably be doing something productive, like cleaning his room or doing his homework, but they were already done, his room pristine and tidy, and his homework completed in class. 

With nothing to do, he lied back down, staring at his white ceiling, listening to Plagg devour his precious cheese. Adrien knew it was a dangerous thing to do, but he let his mind wander, finding himself wondering what his father was doing right now. 

What was his father doing? He didn’t know. Best guess, he was focussing on work, and would probably continue to do so until late in the night, before continuing to do so early in the morning. Adrien wondered what his life would be like if his father paid as much attention to him. 

His father loved him, he knew that, but sometimes he forgot that it was just his mom who died, forgot that he wasn’t alone. But just because he still had his father didn’t mean he wasn’t lonely. The last time he had seen Gabriel Agreste was three days ago, and only for a fleeting moment when he saw the man re-entering his office, Nathalie right behind him to close the door. Not once in those three days had the man checked up on his son, although he supposed Nathalie was keeping him informed. 

He remembered what his father was like before his mom became sick, before she died. He was happy, if you could picture it. He was kind and loving, and he spent a lot of time with his wife and son, and they were a happy family. They were.

But then his mom got sick. Adrien didn’t know what it was exactly, nobody did, not even all of the doctors who his father had sent to help her. Apparently it was a new illness, one that they didn’t know how to treat. All he knew was that as she became weaker, and her body began to fail her, his father became more and more desperate to find a way to save her. By the time Emile was confined to her bed, and spent most of her time sleeping, the only emotions he seemed to have were anger and sadness.

Adrien only got to see his mom one time before she died, the night before actually. He had never been allowed in her room, his parents didn’t want to scare him. But he thinks they knew she was running out of time, so she made his father bring him to her bedside.

He remembered holding her hand as she smiled down at him, her once vibrant green eyes dull and tired. “Adrien, my beautiful boy,” she said as she brought her other hand to his cheek, wiping away a tear.

“Promise me something, Adrien,” he remembers her saying, remembering his eager little nod. 

“Promise me you’ll always be good. Don’t let the world corrupt you with hate.” 

Stroking his cheek as tears rolled down his face, he could see her clearly, tears visible in her eyes as she did her best to smile at her son. 

“I know you’ll do great things one day, honey.”

A series of coughs racked her body, and Gabriel rushed to her side, handing her a cloth to cough into. As she pulled it away, Adrien remembers seeing red droplets of blood against the white cloth. “It’s time for you to go to your room, Adrien,” his father said.

Adrien nodded, but before he left he rushed up to Emile and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. “I love you maman.”

She stifled a sob as she hugged him tight to her chest. “I love you too, my little minou.”

His father told him she passed away the next morning.

Adrien didn’t get to cry at her funeral. He wasn’t allowed, his father said so. “Don’t show them your weakness,” his father had said coldly as he adjusted Adriens tie. Adrien waited until after her funeral, when he was alone in his room, to break down. 

He didn’t see his father for four weeks after his mother's death, only his father's new assistant, Nathalie, that he briefly remembered seeing at his moms funeral, and his new body guard, who his father apparently hired to guard Adrien. 

When he finally did see his father, he was a shell of the man he once knew. He was cold and detached, and he began putting all of his attention into his work. He was a stranger to Adrien, and as time passed, Adrien became a stranger to him. As Adrien began modeling, he became more like a business partner to his father instead of a son. 

During this time, Adrien became lonely. Without his mother, the house was too big, her presence no longer taking up the empty space, making the house feel like a home. 

It was also quiet. Adrien never liked the quiet, but without Emile, there was no reason to talk, and no one to talk too. 

He was never allowed outside the house either, unless it was to model his father's clothes. Even though the man seemed to have no part in Adrien’s life, he seemed to be extra protective of his last family member, and soon Adrien found himself seeing the mansion as too small and confined, like a prison. 

Snapping out of his thoughts and looking around his room, Adrien thought it was too small, too confined, just like the house. Too lonely. Suddenly feeling trapped, Adrien shot up frantically, his eyes landing on Plagg, who was looking at him with concern. 

“Are you okay, kid?” the kwami asked, flying over to where Adrien was, hovering nervously around his head. 

Adrien nodded. “I’m fine.”

Plagg didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Adrien said, rubbing a hand over his face.

Standing up, he walked over to his window, watching as the day faded into night and the last few rays of sun disappeared over the horizon.

“Plagg,” he called out to the kwami. “Claws out!”

In a flash of blinding green light, he transformed into Chat Noir, one of the main heroes of Paris. 

Glancing behind him to make sure his door was locked, Chat leapt out of his window, bounding into the night.


	3. Burst Dam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain cat themed hero visits a certain civilian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Being Chat Noir gave Adrien freedom that he had never felt before, even while his mom was alive. While Adrien Agreste was a polite well mannered boy whose every move was decided for him, Chat was a wild card, able to do whatever he pleased, and able to forget about the sad life he led outside of the mask. 

For some reason, he was having trouble forgetting tonight, even as he felt the cool wind whip past him as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Sighing, he stopped, sitting down and looking out into the night. 

He silently hoped that he would see Ladybug, but he knew it was unlikely. They had no patrol scheduled for tonight, and unless there was an akuma, he doubted he would see her until their patrol on Wednesday. 

He perked up as he heard a loud crash and muffled curse to his right, and he rushed over to find the cause of the commotion, which seemed to be coming from a certain Parisains bedroom. Chat landed softly on her balcony, careful not to make a sound as he peered into her window. Inside, he saw Marinette sitting on the ground, surrounded by a pile of fabrics. 

He chuckled as he saw her start to get up, muttering curses that he was only able to hear due to what he believed to be super hearing, although Plagg never actually confirmed it. 

Maybe he could hang out Marinette, and she could help him get his mind off of things at home. Marinette was always able to help people, and if he remembered correctly, she was a Chat Noir fan. He’s sure she would love a visit from her favourite hero!

And maybe he could get to know him better, even though through his super hero persona. She always seemed to be so tense around Adrien, but maybe if he approached her as Chat Noir, he’d be able to see a side of her that he never got to see. 

Before he could change his mind, Chat knocked on her trap door. Beneath him he heard another thud and strangled curse, and he found himself opening the trap door and rushing to Marinette's side before he could actually think about what he was doing. 

“Marinette, are you okay?” he asked as he helped her up. 

“I’m fine,” she said as she took his hand, allowing him to pull her up to her feet. 

“What are you doing here Chat Noir? Was there an akuma attack?” Her eyes went wide at the last part, and her voice became alarmed.

“There's no akuma attack,” he assured her, watching as she visibly relaxed. 

“Oh thank god,” she sighed in relief. 

She suddenly realized that Chat was still there. “So if there's no akuma attack, then why are you here, kitty? Do you normally drop by citizens late at night?” she asked with a teasing tone.

“Only my favorites,” he replied with a smirk. 

She rolled her eyes fondly, an action that seemed so familiar to him for some reason, but he couldn’t pinpoint why. “So what are you doing here, Chat?”

Chat rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I just didn’t want to feel alone,” he muttered, eyes cast downwards towards the floor. 

Marinette’s eyes widened slightly, and she gently placed her hand on the hero's shoulder, causing him to meet her gaze. “Well, I’m here if you want to stay,” Marinette said as she smiled at him. “I’d like that very much,” Chat said, finding himself smiling right back at her. 

“I’ll be right back,” Marinette said as she walked towards the door that led down to her home. 

“Where are you going?” Chat asked. 

Marinette smiled at him. “Well, we can’t not eat anything when we’re literally right above a bakery.”

And with that she was gone. Chat listened as her footsteps faded for a second before he looked around her room. He never thought he had seen so much pink before. And yet, he didn’t feel overwhelmed by it, but instead found it sort of comforting. The color suited her.

Glancing at the walls, he was shocked to find himself, Adrien, plastered on several posters. His eyes went wide. “Why would she have posters of me?” he quietly asked himself. 

He mentally slapped himself. Of course she would have posters of him, she was an inspiring fashion designer after all. He smiled, maybe she did consider him a close friend.

He heard he start shuffling back up the steps, and he rushed over to open the trapdoor. “Thanks,” she said as she came up carrying a platter of pastries. 

Chat's eyes were glued to the pastries, and as she set them down in front of him, he heard his stomach grumble. Oh yeah, he forgot to eat dinner. 

Marinette laughed as she saw him eyeing the pastries. “You can eat them, you know,” she said, and as soon as she did, Chat snatched a chocolate croissant from the tray, shoving the pastry into his watering mouth. 

“This is so good, Mari!” he praised with a mouth full of croissant. 

She chuckled as she watched him shove the rest of the pastry in his mouth, the whole time chattering about how good it tasted, and how amazing she was.“I know your name is Chat Noir, but you might want to chew your food before you talk.”

Chat grumbled but complied, and his ramblings ceased. Marinette smiled before she grabbed her own pastry, a raspberry macaroon, that was red in color, but Chat thought it suited her. 

After the plate of pastries was gone, their stomachs full with the desserts, he looked at Marinette with a soft smile. “Thank you, Mari,” he said, with sincerity. 

She smiled back at him, but as she looked into his eyes, her face morphed into concern. “Are you alright, Chat?” she asked.

Chat looked at her with wide eyes. “Of course I am,” he muttered, turning away from her gaze. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well for starters,” Marinette said, causing the cat themed hero to turn back towards her. “You came to a random civilian bedroom because you were lonely.”

Chat scowled. “I don’t just go to random civilians bedrooms. I came to your bedroom.”

Marinette sighed. “That’s not the point I was trying to make ther, Chat. You came to me because you were lonely.”

Chat looked away again, suddenly staring intently at one of the Adrien Agreste posters that lined her walls, and if Marinette had been paying more attention, she would have started blushing from embarrassment. But she was currently focused on the boy in front of her. 

“Chat,” she started, placing her hand on the hero's shoulder. “You can talk to me. Please, I hate seeing you hurt.” 

The sincerness in her voice shocked Chat. Of course he knew that Marinette was a kind and amazing person, but he didn’t expect her to care so much, or at all. 

“I-I,” he stammered, suddenly not being able to find the words. “I-”

Chat burst into tears. It was like the dam that he had worked so hard to build had finally burst, and it was all pouring out. He could hardly breathe as sobs racked his body, and all of the pent up emotions he had spilled out.

He felt arms wrap around him, and thought he felt someone stroking his back, and he heard a sweet voice whispering reassurances in his ear, telling him that it was okay to let it out, and that he would be okay. 

He didn’t know how much time he spent in Marinette’s arms as she held him and whispered quiet reassurances, but after some time he calmed down and slowly pulled away from the girl.

“I’m sorry,” he sniffled, wiping at his eyes with his gloved hand. “I shouldn’t fall apart like that in front if a civilian.”

He saw Marinette approach him, but he was still surprised by the hug. “It’s okay to not be okay,” she whispered. “Even superheroes are human, they have their bad days.”

More tears sprang up in his eyes as he tightly hugged her back. “Thank you,” he whispered into her ear.

She pulled back so that they were face to face. “Anytime,” she smiled. 

Chat glanced at the clock, and saw that it was getting late. “I should go,” he said as he pulled away, and Marinette glanced at the clock and nodded.

As Chat went up to the balcony through the trapdoor, he felt a hand wrap around his ankle. Looking down, he saw Marinette, tears in her eyes but with a kind smile.

“I’m always here, if you need it,” she said. “Your welcome anytime.” 

Chat was shocked for a moment before he nodded. “I might take you up on that offer,” he teased, trying to add some of his usual flair.

Marinette chuckled. “I’m counting on it.”

On the balcony, the two stared at eachother for a moment, before Chat took Marinette’s hand and placed a gentle kiss on it’s back. “Goodnight, Mari.”

Marinette smiled down at him. “Goodnight kitty, get home safe.”

With a Chat Noir like salut, a warm feeling he vaguely recognized blooming in his chest, before he turned and leapt off the balcony, bounding across the Parisian rooftops. If he turned around, he would have seen Marinette watching him for as long as she could before he disappeared into the night.


	4. A Knight's Favour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat and Marinette have another fated encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know some people may be wondering if I am still working on my other series, and yes I am, but I have been experiencing some major writers block with those works, and have decided to finish up Marionette, and to start this little passion project. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and know that there will be more to come in the next couple of days!

The next day all Adrien could think about was seeing Marinette again. He wanted to thank her for what she did for him, for understanding, and he had to stop himself from thanking her countless times throughout the day. 

As soon as the night fell, he transformed and bounded over to her balcony, getting there as fast as he could. Once he landed, he knocked on her balcony, and heard her moving in her room below. 

A few seconds later, the trapdoor opened and revealed Marinette, who was wearing a pair of pajamas that Adrien remembered her wearing when she went with him to see his mother’s movie. 

“Hi Chat,” she greeted cheerily. “I thought you might drop by.”

He looked at her curiously, and tilted his head slightly in confusion. She had expected him?

Marinette laughed at his expression. “Well are you going to come in or what?” she asked.

As Chat descended down the stairs, he noticed that Marinette had set up a little nest for them on the floor using most of the pillows and blankets she had in her room, a plate of chocolate croissants sitting next to the pile. Two video game controls sat on the blankets, and Chat was stunned that she had done all of this just for him.

“Marinette,” he muttered, his eyes wide. “This is-is,”

“Is it too much?” she asked nervously as he stumbled over his words. “I’m sorry, I just thought you might want to come over again tonight,” she mumbled, seemingly having a staring contest with the ground. “I understand if you want to lea-”

She was cut off by toned arms wrapping around her, pulling her into a tight hug. “This is perfect!” Chat exclaimed as he spun her around in a little circle, chuckling at her yelp of surprise. 

Setting her down, Chat rushed over to the nest and quickly bundled himself up in the blaneks, snatching a croissant and stuffing it in his mouth before eagerly picking up one of the controls, a black one with green accents.

Smiling brightly, Marinette walked over and joined him, picking up the other remote, red with black accents. “So what game do you want to play?” she asked, turning to the hero. 

“What about Ulitimate Mecha Strike III?” he asked excitedly. 

She laughed. “Are you sure?” she teased. “I don’t think you can beat me, I’ve been known to be very good.”

Oh yes, Chat knew exactly what she was talking about, but he just rolled his eyes and teased back. “I fight akumas everyday, Mari. I think I can easily beat you.”

Looking at her, Chat saw a fiercness Adrien had only seen in Marinette’s eyes a few times before as her competitive side kicked in. “Oh, your so on.”

The two spent hours playing the game, Marinette winning almost every match with ease while Chat mock pouted next to her. “You must be cheating!” Chat exclaimed as she won another match, throwing his hands in the air as Marinette laughed.

“Maybe your just bad at the game,” she teased, poking him on the chest. 

Chat jokingly grabbed at his chest where she had poked him. “Oh, you wound me Marinette!” he said, falling backwards into the heap of forgotten blankets. “You have broken my poor heart!”

Marinette rolled her eyes at his antics, an act that seemed so familiar in a way that he couldn’t quite place. “More like shattered your ego,” she replied with a fond smile. 

Chat grinned at her as he sat up. He liked this fiesty side to Marinette. “Me-ouch! Who knew Mari had claws?”

Marrinette rolled her eyes at the pun, but laughed nonetheless. “Oh no, you brought out the cat puns, you got to be kitten me,” she responded unconsciously. 

Chat looked at her with wide eyes and a stunned smile as Marinette seemed to blanch, realizing that she herself had just made a cat pun. Maybe Chat and his cat jokes were rubbing off on her. I mean, she had had to deal with them for the past two years, even if the certain hero himself didn’t know that.

“Did-Did you just make a cat pun?” Chat asked incredulously. 

Marinette blushed, her face turning a bright shade of red. “Uh, no,” she replied lamely, looking away.

“Uh yes!” he exclaimed, sitting up straighter. “You most definitely made a cat pun!”

Marinette rolled her eyes, her face still tinged pink. “So what if I did?”

“So what?” Chat yelled. “This is the best day of my life!”

Marinette chuckled, looking at the boy in astonishment. “Me saying a cat pun qualifies as the best day of your life?” she asked.

“Yep,” he replied cheerfully. “The only thing that could top this is if I could get my lady to make a cat pun!” Chat didn’t notice Marinette’s choked snort or glance to her desk, where a certain red and black kwami was hiding.

“I’m sure that would be something,” she said as she herself got up, walking over to the hero. 

Chat nodded, agreeing with her. “Yes, it most certainly would.”

“I should probably go,” Chat said, walking towards the stairs leading up to the balcony. “It’s pretty late, and you need to get some rest.”

Marinette nodded, following him up to the balcony just as she had done the previous night. Standing there looking at eachother, neither was sure about what to say, the words that had seemed to come so easily just minutes earlier dying on their tongues. 

Chat rubbed his neck, glancing at the girl. “Um, thank you, Marinette,” he said, his words filling the silence. 

She smiled up at him. “It’s no problem at all,” she replied, her eyes and smile both sincere. 

Chat nodded, turning towards the railing. “Goodnight,” he muttered.

Before he could jump off however, a soft hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling him back. Turning around, Chat saw Marinette nervously glancing at him, her hand holding onto him.

“You’ll come back, right?” she asked, and Chat smiled fondly at her. 

“Of course I will, why wouldn’t I?”

“I-I don’t know,” she mumbled, looking away and at the ground.

Chat frowned. Of course he would come back, why wouldn't he? Hanging out with Marinette was becoming one of the best part of his day. And yet, the girl in question seemed to doubt he'd return. He'd have to find a way to fix that.

Glancing at the street below, Chat spotted a flower stand parked on the corner, a very disinterested man sitting behind it, scrolling through his phone with a yawn. 

Chat smiled, turning back to Marinette and squeezing her small hand, grabbing her attention. “I’ll be right back,” he said before bounding over to the flower stand, startling the man. Gathering all of the cash he had on him, he bought a single pink rose with a black ribbon tied around it, two colors he thought signified the both of them. 

Leaping back up to the balcony, Chat handed the flower to Marinette, who looked confused and pleasantly surprised by the gift. “Chat, what’s this?” she asked in confusion.

Chat smiled as he looked at Marinette and the rose. “This is my favour,” Chat replied with a bright smile.

“A favour,” Marinette questioned, looking at the flower. “Like the ones knights used to give?” Marinette asked, receiving a nod from the black clad hero.

"Shouldn't I be the one giving you the favour?" Marinette asked in amusement, gently touching one of the roses petals.

Chat beamed at her, taking the rose in one of his gloved hands. "Since when have I ever done anything in the traditional way?"

Marinette chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I suppose you have a point there," she said, looking back at Chat with a smile.

“Now I’ll have to come back,” Chat said, taking the ribbon from the flower and tying it around Marinette’s wrist. “After all, what kind of knight would I be if I didn’t allow my favour to be returned?”

Marinette smiled at him. “So your a knight now, huh? And what exactly would that make me?” 

Chat laughed. “Why, that would make you a princess of course.”

“Of course,” Marinette nodded with mock seriousness, a happy smile plastered on her face. 

Chat took her free hand and bent down, gently pressing a kiss on the back of her hand. “Until we meet again, purrincess,” he said, looking up at Marinette with a playful smirk.

“Until we meet again,” Marinette replied with a wide grin.

As he stood up, Marinette hugged Chat, and Adrien found himself gladly returning the embrace. 

“Goodnight, Chat,” she mutered into his neck.

“Goodnight Mari,” he replied, his face resting against the top of her head.

And with that simple goodbye, he turned and bounded away, just as he did the night before. And Marinette waited on her balcony, peering into the darkness watching as her knight bounded away, a content smile on her lips.

No one commented on it, but Adrien seemed to be in an amazing mood the following day, which may or may not have been due to a black ribbon adorning a certain classmates wrist.


	5. Medical Assistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an akuma battle, Chat fins himself in need of medical attention. Thankfully, a familiar bluenette lives close by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this new chapter! I will be working on updating this and a couple of my other works and series tomorrow, so make sure to check for updates!

Chat groaned in pain as he clutched his stomach, heavily leaning against a wall in a dark alleyway to keep from collapsing. 

He and his lady had just defeated another akuma, a hair dresser who had been upset by a rude customer, or at least upset enough to be akumatized. It seemed like Hawkmoth was akumatizing anyone who felt even remotely upset now.

And of course, as a hair dresser villain, their main weapon was a pair of razor sharp scissors, which had somehow managed to hit his side as he acted as a distraction for his lady to use her lucky charm.

He had hoped that his lady’s ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ would heal the wound, but it must have been a bit worse than he thought, because as he pulled his hand away from the aching pain in his lower abdomen, he saw it covered in his blood. 

Staggering forward a couple of feet, Chat saw a glimpse of a very familiar balcony, one that he had found himslef drawn to everynight for the past three weeks. A feeling of warmth and safety washed over him, and he knew that that Parisian rooftop would be much more safe (and sanitary) than the crumby alleyway he was currently in.

Groaning, he stood upright, and with a sharp hiss of pain, he used his baton to hoist him up to Marinette’s balcony. Landing, he tried to be as quiet as possible. He didn’t want Marinette to be worried.

Stumbling over his feet as he tried to sit, he accidentally knocked down one of the potted plants that were situated on the ledges edge, and he winced at the sound of the pot crashing against the floor. Whoops.

He heard shuffling from beneath him, and looked up to see Marinette peaking out of her trap door, looking around to find the source of the noise. Chat saw the moment her eyes landed on him, her face morphing from confusion to horror as she rushed to his side. 

“Chat!” Marinette cried out, helping him get into a sitting position, hands hovering over his wound. “What happened?”

Adrien chuckled, hissing as it jostled his side. “Oh, you know,” he said, trying to act as casually as possible. “Saving Paris from a crazy moth-themed villain.”

Marinette looked as though she wanted to snap at him, yell, maybe even throw him off of her terrace (which is something that Adrien would pay to see), but instead she just sighed, pursing her lips as she focused her attention on his wound.

“I’m not a medical professional,” she started, sitting back a little. “But I think this is going to need stitches. It’s too deep to not need them.”

Chat nodded, resting his head back on the ledge. “Ok,” he said, looking at Marinette. “If you give me a needle and some thread, I can patch myself up and be out of your hair.”

Marinette looked at him incredulously, mouth agape as she shook her head. “There is no way I’m letting you do that,” she said, her tone and crossed arms both showing him that there was no room for argument.

“Come on, lets get you inside,” said the bluenette as she half dragged Adrien towards the entrance to her room. Relenting, Chat let her sit him down against her sofa and watched as she ran to grab supplies to help clean up his wound. 

When she came back, Chat saw that she was carrying some needle and thread as well as a bowl of water, towels, and bandages. Setting the supplies down next to him, Marinette knelt down to inspect the cut again, trying to see what her first course of action should be.

“Chat,” she said suddenly, breaking the silence and making him jump a little. 

“Yes Princess?” he asked.

“Can you unzip your suit? I need to be able to see the cut better if I’m going to stitch you up.”

“O-Of course, Mari,” Chat replied, glancing away from Marinette as he began to slightly blush. Pulling down on the bell and zipper of his suit, Adrien couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed. Marinette was his friend and classmate afterall. 

Marinette seemed to be in the same boat, her cheeks also turning an impressive shade of red as she glanced at his exposed chest. 

Seemingly snapping herself out of it, she reached down into the supplies she had brought and grabbed what she needed.

Taking one of the towels, Marinette dipped it in the water before washing away the blood around the wound, both of them blushing at the contact. Cleaning the wound, Chat winced in pain, trying his best not to cry out as Marinette brushed over it with the towel. 

Glancing at him apologetically, Marinette grabbed the needle she had brought with her, which she had cleaned with hydrogen peroxide while she was grabbing the other supplies. 

“I-I only have sewing thread,” Marinette said as she put the thread through the needle. “That means that it might not hold as well, so if something happens to your stitches, you have to come to me so I can fix them, and you'll also need to come back when it's healed so I can remove them.”

Adrien nodded, and screwed his eyes closed as the needle pierced his skin. The pair sat in silence as Marinette stitched his wound, only the occasional hiss of pain from Adrien every now and then. 

After about 15 minutes, Marinette sat back, satisfied with her work. They weren’t the best, and were certainly not professionally done, but they would do the job. Grabbing the bandages from her pile, she tightly wrapped them around his abdomen before zipping up his costume. 

Opening his eyes, Adrien glanced down to his side to see white bandages peaking through the hole in his costume. With a smile, he turned to Marinette. “Thank you, princess,” Chat said with sincerity. “I don’t know what I would have done without you!”

Marinette smiled back at him, looking at the wound with relief. “I’m just glad I was able to help,” she said as she started to clean up her supplies. “God knows you would have tried to keep going unless I heard you land on my balcony.”

Chat chuckled, looking down at the ground bashfully as Marinette stood and set the stuff on her desk. “ I hate to admit it, but I think you might be right,” he admitted.

Marinette laughed as she turned and helped him stand up. “I’m always right.”

As Chat stood, he noticed Marinette’s face darken. “What’s wrong?” he asked, one of his clawed hands reaching out to grab hers. 

“I-Its just, I hate seeing you hurt, Chaton,” said Marinette as she looked down to the floor. 

Tilting her face up to meet his gaze, Adrien smiled at her reassuringly. “I’m fine, Princess, especially thanks to my wonderful doctor.”

Marinette chuckled. “I supose so,” she said with a sigh. “Just - Come to me if your hurt ok? Or tell Ladybug.”

“I will,” Chat said. “Cross my heart.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“Promise,” he replied.

Suddenly, Adrien was hyper-aware of that his face was only a few inches from Marinettes. That her bright blue eyes were sparkling. That her mouth was so close to his. Chat felt a funny feeling, one that he had only ever felt around someone else. 

“I-I better head home,” Adrien stammered as he began to violently blush. 

“Ok,” Marinette said quietly as she also began to feel her cheeks warm up.

Slowly climbing up to the balcony, the pair found themselves once again saying goodnight to one another, although something felt different about tonight. 

As Adrien slowly made his way home, he wondered if Marinette had felt the same feeling as he did. And as Marinette lay in her bed, she stared at her ceiling and wondered the same thing.


End file.
